Leaking tanker off Omani coast is sinking deeper, satellite images show

Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show that a sanctioned tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of oil appears to be increasingly submerged in water off the coast of Oman, where it has been grounded for weeks, while leaking more oil into the surrounding sea. By August 7, the spill was covering nearly 800km², according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX. Satellite imagery analysis suggests that the oil spill covered 45km² up to July 26. By August 2, it had expanded to about 150km², and imagery from August 4 indicates that it extends across roughly 600km². The tanker's crew reported an explosion on board on June 8, according to media reports. The 247m Caroline Bezengi has been grounded off Qibliyah Island for two months. In the images, the vessel appears to be partly submerged, noticeably more so than in a photo taken on July 31.